The subject invention relates to a food and drink holder, and in particular, to a food and drink holder configured to mount in drink holders attached to seats or armrests at a public venue including but not limited to sporting arenas and stadiums, movie theatres, performance theatres and auditoriums.
Most public venues have concession stands where patrons may purchase food and drink to take back to their seats to consume while watching an event. It is difficult to hold a drink and food items while sitting at such an event as there is no table provided at most seats, and patrons often need their hands free to clap or read programs. Many concession stands offer disposable paperboard trays that may contain one or more cup holding compartments/areas and an open tray to place food items in. However, as most seats don't have tables, such a paperboard tray must be balanced on a user's lap. These paperboard trays are not very sturdy and activity such as moving or clapping can cause a cup to tip out of the holder or for the tray to fall off the user's lap. Condiments may also end up soiling the user's clothing.
To help alleviate this problem with current trays, many venues have added rigid cup holders to the seats or arm rests. Commonly, such rigid cup holders are located in the back of the row of seats in front and generally between the seats as the backs of the seats generally do not extend backward as far at the side ends. Alternately, cup holders have been added at forward ends of the seat armrests. While these cup holders have proven very beneficial for holding drinks at such venues as discussed above, they still do not help with the paperboard trays for food that must be help by hand of the users or balanced on the laps thereof.
In an attempt to address the above noted shortcomings of holding drinks and food at public venues combined beverage and food trays have been developed that are designed to mount in cup holders at public venues. One such unit is a beverage and container holder disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,746 B1 to Macias et al., which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. Macias et al. discloses an assembly having a beverage holder compartment and provides one or more surfaces for food and beverage placement, writing etc. It is adapted for use in theaters, stadiums, convention halls and home entertainment centers. The assembly is removably supported in the seat arm beverage/cup holder. The position is adjustable. The tray in Macias et al. is not suitable; however for beverage holders mounted to the backs of the seats in the forward row. It would also be cost prohibitive as a disposable item at concession stands.
Also, US Patent Application Publication 2017/0318974 Alto Bergin discloses a portable customizable swiveling concession tray, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. The tray in Bergin is removably securable to a pre-existing container holder such that the tray and container holder can swivel about the connection of the tray to the seat. The connection includes a customizable insert which can be of different heights depending upon the pre-existing holder. It is particularly designed for mounting to a holder in an armrest and would not be suitable for mounting to a holder in the back of the forward row of seats. The tray and connecting insert disclosed in Bergin would also be cost prohibitive as a disposable item for concession stands.
It is an object of the invention to provide a food and drink holder that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art and is removably mountable to a rigid beverage container holder attached to seat backs or armrests at a public venue.